Steve Kerr sends stern warning to Warriors after Will Richard's career game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Will Richard’s career performance in the Warriors’ loss Wednesday night not only put the league on notice, but it also sent a message within Golden State’s very own walls.
In his first NBA start against the Sacramento Kings, the rookie guard dropped 30 points on 66.7-percent shooting from the field and 62.5 percent from 3-point range, with seven rebounds, three assists and one steal in 35 minutes.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr explained how Richard’s big night — and convincing start to his NBA career — could impact the organization’s plans for the former second-round draft pick.
“Will fits in perfectly with everything I’m discussing right now,” Kerr said Thurday on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs.” “The turnovers, the decision-making, the spacing, the ability to dribble, pass and shoot — those four things lead to good decision-making as a team, as a group. I can draw a play out of a timeout and put Will in any one of the five positions. So when you get guys like this that provide really solid play and stability, this is what has made our team go around Steph [Curry] and Draymond [Green].
“I’ve said this to you guys a million times. Who are those stabilizers in our run over the last decade? It’s Andre Iguodala. It’s Shaun Livingston. It’s David West. You need them at different positions because Steph and Dray need stability around them to get them organized and to help them navigate the game and to get Steph the ball.
“So Will Richard checks all those boxes. The whole team, the whole organization, recognizes this — which means everybody’s on notice. Take care of the ball, because we’ve got people who will do that. And they’re ready to step in.”
Sounds like a message to others on the team to step up, or others, such as Richard, will.
Golden State acquired the draft rights to the Florida guard, who was selected No. 56 overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Richard averaged 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game for the 2025 National Champions, and finished with a game-high 18 points on 4-of-7 shooting from 3-point range in the Gators’ championship win over Houston.
He looked like a steal early in camp for the Warriors, and that remains to be the case to Kerr.
“You don’t really expect to see this from the [56th] pick,” Kerr said. “But what we’ve seen since the start of camp. What a steal. What an incredible pick by Mike Dunleavy and the scouting department.”
